The Russian language has more than a thousand-year history. Some of the expressions that we, without hesitation, use in everyday life, upon first examination, may seem illogical or even strange. It is difficult for a foreigner studying Russian to explain why a fly is sitting on the wall and a vase is on the table. It is also not easy to remember how to speak correctly : put on a coat or dress, smell or feel. Well, the phrase “no, wrong” has completely become a classic example of Russian logic. This article is about how to say it right: “they smell or hear the smell”.
Not only the East, but also the language is a delicate matter
The task is quite complicated. Not every linguist can clearly explain how to correctly say: “they hear or feel the smell”. Often, to interpret the difficulties of Russian, it is necessary to turn to dictionaries, reference books, and even material from other languages. In particular, many are wondering how, according to the rules of the Russian language, “hear or feel smells”?
Each nation has a certain picture of the world, which is somehow reflected in the system of symbols. But the system itself has internal laws and its own logic. Not only do we make the language, but it also makes us.
To understand the difference between the expressions “hear the smell or feel”, it is not necessary to immediately turn to dictionaries. It is easy to see that the verb “hear” means to a greater extent the physical ability to perceive sounds, and the verb “feel” reflects the state of mind.
We perceive the outside world in a comprehensive way, because our senses interact with each other. So, in painting there are cold and warm shades, in music - heavy melodies, etc. Therefore, sometimes we figuratively say that we hear a smell, meaning by this the process of perceiving a particular aroma.
Words, like people, may not fit together
The term “valency” has been familiar to many since the school day. So in chemistry they call the ability of a molecule to bind to another molecule. But language, despite the abundance of phrases and words that seem to have no logic, is actually a wisely organized system of signs.
In linguistics, the ability to combine one token with other words is called valency. For example, we say “thin road”, “thin path”, but “thin man”. Semantically, the word “thin” is better combined with inanimate objects or parts of the body, but they don’t say that about people in general. In the famous story of A. Chekhov, one of the friends was called thin and not thin, because this character, unlike his "fat" friend, lost his personality and honor, turned into a servile flatterer.
Chekhov used the epithet "thin" on purpose, to give the story more emotionality. But we sometimes make random mistakes, because apart from the norms of the literary language, there is also colloquial speech, which often goes beyond the norm. Therefore, in order to understand how to say correctly, “I hear a smell or I feel,” we need to turn to the explanatory dictionary and the dictionary of compatibility of words in the Russian language. Well, the logic of constructing these phrases was said above.
What dictionaries say
In the first half of the twentieth century. both forms were absolutely equal - to “smell” and “smell”. This can be checked in the dictionary of D.S. Ushakova.
However, since the middle of the twentieth century. the language system has changed somewhat and now the only correct general literary norm is the combination of “smell”. It is in this form that this expression is presented in the dictionary of word compatibility, published in 1983 by the Russian Language Institute named after A.S. Pushkin. At the moment, this is one of the most respected publications of this kind.
Meanwhile, in a "live" speech ...
Linguists are engaged in fixing, describing and substantiating literary norms. However, almost 30 years have passed since 1983, and the language has changed somewhat, because it is constantly and tirelessly developing. With the improvement of people's living standards, the perfume industry is being improved, new types of perfumes are appearing, specialized stores are opening, etc.
As a result, we now see that the expression “hear the smell” has not finally gone out of use, but has migrated to the field of professional vocabulary. Perfumers do not think about whether to smell or feel. Indeed, for them, perfumes are a kind of body music, a special language of moods and desires.
Thus, if you do not know whether they hear or smell perfumes, then you can safely use both phrases in colloquial speech. In everyday communication, this will not be a mistake. True, in official documents, if any have to be drawn up, a normalized combination should still be used. If we are talking about an unpleasant odor, then in any case, you need to use the verb "feel".
What other verbs does the word “smell” combine with
In addition to the word “feel” with the lexemes “aroma”, “smell”, the following verbs are combined:
- absorb;
- be in love;
- have;
- to publish;
- do not tolerate;
- do not tolerate.
The smell itself can be heard or penetrated somewhere or from somewhere, as well as remind of something, like or dislike.
How is the phrase “smell” translated into other languages?
Interestingly, in European languages ​​with the word “smell”, the verb “feel” is also most often used: fr. “Sentir” “Feel”. True, it should be noted here that if the British do not think about whether to smell or feel, other subtleties are present in their language. Think of Nirvana’s famous song “Smells like teen spirit”. After all, “smell” - it literally means “to smell”, to perceive by smell. How would you translate this name into Russian ? Literal translation is not possible, is it?
In Ukrainian, the same combinations are found as in Russian. Against the background of the normalized expression “smell smell” in colloquial speech and journalism, you can find the phrase “smell a little” (literally “hear a smell”).
Perhaps the tendency to perceive perfumes as music is characteristic of many Slavic peoples.
Thus, an unequivocal answer to the question of how correctly: the smell is heard or felt does not exist. The official norm is the second option, but the first is acceptable in colloquial and professional speech.